Effect of Cultural Environment on the Blood Group Activity of Microorganisms

Blood group activity was proven to be a property of the bacterium per se which possesses it, although such activity was influenced by the cultural environment of the organism. High concentrations of peptones having blood group activity were able to transfer this activity to inactive organisms; however, the conferred activity was proportional to the concentration. As a result of the low concentrations, the blood group activity of peptones was eliminated upon incorporation in culture media, and the activity of the peptones had no effect on the blood group activity levels of microorganisms when grown in these media. Conversely, the vitamin content of culture media did affect blood group active organisms. Multiple vitamins in media decreased the activity levels by blocking the reactive sites of the active organisms on which activity detection depended. Blood group activity levels were highest in media of minimal or no vitamin content. Therefore, it can be concluded that a choice of cultural medium becomes an important factor in the quantitation of bacterial blood group activity.